The National tribune., 1887-12-15
A DANES STORY.
He Came to this Country 10 Help TO Maintain its
Free Institutions

EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: In your issue
of Aug. Is, under the caption "The Cruelest
SANDER" you take truthful ground Of defense
Of the honor of the soldiers i am native Of
Denmark; was in London, England, in the
Winter of 1850 and 1861, and learned from the
English newspapers that the southern ports
were TO be closed by the Yankee feet. con-
cluded TO 90 TO New York and join the Yankees
in doing so. j arrived in New York May 49,
1861, which was on Saturday. and on the fol-
lowing Monday, May 81, / enlisted in the u.
$. navy, 10 serve three years as an ordinary
seaman, at SIP per month, out Of which / was
10 clothe myself. i served in the frigate San
tee" And while in the expedition under
Lieut.. James L. Jouett NOW Admiral in the
u. S. navy in the destruction OF the Royal
YACHT off Galveston, Nov z, 1861, was
wounded in the head. Subsequently / con-
tracted scurvy in the mouth and legs, which
disabled me entirely from active duty. /
was sent home and discharged on Sept. Is,
1862. Sept. 26, two weeks after my discharge,
i re-enisted in the u. s. navy as an able sea-
man, at SIS per month, to serve for one year,
on the gunboat "Antona," which was stationed
on the Mississippi River, with Admiral Far
ragnt's feet. At the expiration OF my time i
was discharged at New Orleans Sept. 25, 1863.
re-enlisted TO serve for three years in the LIST
battalion Mass. III. A., from which | was dis
charged Oct. 20, 1865. This is the voluntary
service 10 the Union cause from one who had
not one particle of relative attachment to this
country. There was no money 10 draw me
from the old country. There was no comfort
of life or gain of wealth 10 induce me 10 enter
the war in a strange land And as il was with
me so il was with many thousands of foreign
ers who came over the ocean and entered the
United States army and navy, prompted only
by love Of the country and its free institu-
| tiOns.
AT no time during the war was there any
bounty at all offered 10 men who served i'm the
navy. Our sand rations were all that were
received by the sailor and landsman. Under
my last enlistment, which was in the army,
was promised $500 United States bounty.
received 500, and the 500 has not been paid
and apparently never will he. have at various
times made seven applications for the 500, and
| each time 10 was rejected for want of legisla.
| ton 10 grant the same; and i am such a small
"potato" am not worth noticing.
Some years ago i applied for a pepsion. and
in favor of which - allidavits are on file in th,
| Pension Department, inclusive Of one from Ad
miral James T. Jouett, u. S. N. But as a sailor
always had TO take the second consideration
and some times not noticed at all, il is difficult
10 tell when the Commissioners sun will smil,
upon me.
i entered the Union service as foreigner al
the beginning OF the war, and at the end / cam,
out full hearted Yankee, ever ready 10 defent
that starry flag for which SO many different
nationalities are sleeping in their graves ant
so many cripples were made
Let those who did not experience the hard
ships of war withhold their cruel judgment anC
resi- their souls in that consolation that if the,
were towards all were not so; that there wer
some who did and do love the land of thei
mothers, and who arc ready aud willing again
TO defend the flag aud country against traitor
or any foreign enemy.--WM +. DENMURE, lat
of the U. S. frigate Santee and gunboat Antona
Aurora, Ind.